Journey
by Mystic Milli
Summary: The journey to become is not an easy one. One must venture into the darkest regions of the world to achieve what they want while maintaining the peace in the natural order of things. A young woman from Yorknew City understands this extremely well, but must struggle down that path to even get past the first steps, even if it means accepting help from people like Hisoka.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys. This is my first story over here in the HxH section of the website. I'm normally over in the DBZ portion and that's where my biggest focus lies at with my story Ascent and Heritage. However, there are times when I get writer's block and I'll need something to work on the side when that happens. Without further ado, I present to you, Journey!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunter x Hunter characters or the franchise. I only own the characters that I create.**

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**Chapter 1**

**Walk X Your X Own X Way**

A single hooded individual walked through the streets of Yorknew City at a brisk pace as the rain fell from the sky above. The street lights hovering above the sidewalks served as guides to prevent the person from tripping over small obstacles and to help watch for potential threats in the alleyways as they journeyed to their upcoming destination. Due to the rainfall and the coloring choice of the lonely individual, no distinguishable features could be made out in the physical appearance, except for the apparent 5'4 height. However, if one would see this type of person walking the streets alone at night, they would assume the individual was a traveling male with no real destination in mind, meaning they would be left alone for the most part.

As the rain proceeded to pick up, sounds of thunder boomed in the sky, followed by white flashes of light streaking in the distance which signaled the presence of lightening entering the area. Since there was not a sound heard afterwards, it meant that there was still time until the weather turned severe for the particular area. Even though the individual knew this key fact, it did not stop them from speeding up in their tracks, breaking out into a full blown sprint. The figure was determined not to waste any more time than necessary to reach the intended destination. However, there was a consequence of the increasingly rapid pace that included a slight loss of balance and slipping face forward into the concrete.

A pair of glasses landed on the ground a bit ahead of the pedestrian who was now holding themselves up with their face a mere inch or so from the concrete. The hood had fallen off, revealing the person's facial features. The lone individual was a female with dark colored hair tied back into a pony tail that reached above the neck. Her eyes were of an amber color that displayed insecurities about her, a bit of shyness, but also a desire to know more about the world around her. Hanging from her earlobes were earrings in the shape of golden hearts.

"That was a close one," she said in a relieved yet soft voice. She had narrowly avoided getting a scar on her face and did not need to add anymore to the collection she had already. The stinging she felt in each of her bandaged hands reminded her of the previous incident that she did not want to relive no time soon. "It's best that I get home as soon as possible, but first…"

She began to reach around the sidewalk for her glasses as she sat up on all fours, but her vision was too impaired at the moment to locate them quick enough. Without the glasses or her contacts, when she decided to wear the latter, she was as blind as a bat. She only hoped that someone would not accidentally step on them, but who else would be crazy enough to walk around in this type of weather in the first place? After what seemed like five minutes, her small hands landed on the rim of her glasses. A large smile appeared on her lips as she hurriedly placed it on her face. The previous hazy vision had become crystal clear despite the small droplets of water rolling down the lenses. "I don't know what I would do if these broke again."

"BOOM!"

"Ahh!" the young maiden shrieked in fear.

The sudden eruption alarmed her greatly, causing her to immediately jump to her feet and scurried off into the distance. Just as she had done previously, she ran as quickly as she possibly could and in a matter of time, arrived at a large two-story building. She breathed heavily as she dragged her body up the steps, tired from her rapid movement, and slowly entered the home. The moment she opened the door, the bright lights shined directly into her face as she walked in and closed the door behind her.

Almost immediately, she removed the dripping wet coat from her body and placed it on the coat rack next to the door. The removal of the outerwear allowed her normal clothing to be shown. The young woman had a petite figure, an uncommon sight for those her age. Her clothing consisted of a burgundy long-sleeved shirt that reached past her wrist; obviously two sizes too big for one her size, a pair of blue loose-fitting jeans, and white tennis shoes. Now that she was in the light, her hair color could be distinguished as a silky black with a few strands of silver in the mix.

Her amber eyes glanced over the coat rack in which she saw an additional two coats hanging upon it, causing a sad smile to appear on her lips. "_I'm surprised they're actually here today."_

She began to examine the immediate surroundings. The interior of the house was painted in a sky blue coloring with the walls donned with pictures and paintings. Against the walls were black stand tables holding small vases filled with flowers. The floor tiles were colored in the same sky blue and a darker blue in a checkerboard fashion. In the middle point of the room on each sides were two open walkways; the one on the left leading to the kitchen while the one on the right led to the living room. At the end opposite end of the room was a staircase leading up to the next floor and on each side at the bottom were two more doors leading elsewhere.

This was the home of Shiraishi Ayumu, a 20-year old young woman. She was the daughter of two business owners who are always too drawn up into their work to pay attention to those involved with their personal life, including their daughter. They spent most of their time at the offices or traveling to visit their partners rather than spend even one quiet evening at home, unless it was a special event.

When that time did arrive, they would push her into pursuing the same goal as they did, but that was not the type of lifestyle she desired. She wanted to see the world, free of the restraint of having to do the same set schedule for the remainder of her life and the only way to do that was to take the upcoming Hunter exam. So tonight had to be one of those nights.

A sigh escaped her lips as she proceeded to head towards the staircase, but she came to an immediate halt at the call of her name.

"Shira! Is that you darling?" a female's voice questioned from the left.

The young woman turned her attention to an older looking woman with long, curly blonde hair. She stood a few inches taller than the 20 year old Shira with eyes of the same amber color. She wore a sleeveless black dress that clung to his body, fitting her just the right places, stopping at her ankles along with a pair of high heeled shoes. This was Mayuri Ayumu; the mother of Shira. The older woman came running to the young maiden with a warm smile on her face and pulled her into a hug.

"H-Hello mother," Shira responded in a soft voice, nearly unable to speak. "I-It's good to see you."

"Where have you been?" Mayuri questioned in worry. "When your father and I didn't see you in your room, I got so worried."

Shira hesitated slightly as she shifted her gaze to the side, unable to meet her mother's gaze, "I was getting something prepared for tomorrow."

Her mother gave her a questioning glance then it turned into a smile, "Oh do tell me more about this, but it'll have to wait until after the dinner. In fact, get out of those clothes and put on that cute little dress I bought for you recently."

The young maiden shook her head, "I'd think I'll pass mother. I had a long day so I want to head straight to bed."

Mayuri gave a slight nod of her head. She knew her only daughter had always found something to do during

She paid little mind to her surroundings as she walked through the long hallway that led to her room. Even though there were pictures lined across the wall, they were only meant for show and did not reflect the true life her family lived. Shira could not say she was neglected, but her parents were too wrapped up into their work to really focus on family life. However, she had grown accustomed to being by herself most of the time, and as she grew over the years, any type of concern about the situation faded away.

She was now at the age where her life could really start and make all the choices for herself. Besides, when they were around, due to her small size, they treated her like a child so it was time to remove herself from that type of atmosphere.

She came to the end of the hall and walked into her bedroom. The room was simple, to say the least. The walls were colored in a peach color with numerous posters on all of the walls, each pertaining to a different topic she wanted to look into. There were a few pictures of her in her youth, but in most cases, the smiles she reflected were sad because her parents were not in them. To the right was a set of double doors, leading into her walk-in closet with another door beside it leading to the bathroom.

Next to that door was a dresser drawer with a flat-screen television sitting on top of it. On the far left, towards the center, was her bed with pink coverings and white railings along with headboards of the same color. Next to the bed on one side was a night stand with a small lamp, her phone as it charged, and jewelry box sitting on top of it. On the other side was large black trunk in which she kept her most valuable possessions.

Finally, sitting on top of the bed was a small black bag that she would need for tomorrow. She approached the bed and allowed her body to fall forward. With a small thump, she felt comfort enter her system. Shira remained in her position as she stared into the wall that she faced, lost in a deep train of thought. "_Tomorrow is the day where I begin my journey. I'll be able to make the decisions for myself and not have to worry about my parents dictating my every move. I just hope I do well enough to pass. I haven't been doing all this training for nothing, but I feel like I missed some areas, but I'll see how it goes when everything begins."_

A small sigh escaped the black haired maiden's lips as she pushed her body up from the position and stood to her feet once more. She reached for the small bag and looked inside to double check that everything she needed was in place. There was a small bundle of changing clothes at the bottom with a small wallet, a book, and a map on top. "_This is all that I'll need for tomorrow."_

She turned her attention to the corner the room next to the door, where a simple blue pole and a special pair of white shoes with red stripes leaned against the wall: her weapon of choice and her means of transportation when in a hurry. She had to be sure that she could not leave them tomorrow because the world was a dangerous place and the exam would be the first step into that type of environment. She knew quite well that it would not be easy and that she could very well die in the first part of the exam, but it was what she wanted and nothing would stop her from achieving her goal.

Shira walked over to the dresser and opened it, pulling out a set of clothes to sleep in for the night before stepping into the bathroom. The young maiden remained in the room for several minutes, washing her body of all the dirt and sweat that built up over the course of the day, making sure to never miss a spot. The door opened, revealing a refreshed Shira dressed in only white T-shirt and black shorts.

The black haired girl did not waste any time to hop into her bed and get under the covers. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall into a deep slumber, excitedly waiting for the next day to come.

_The Next Morning_

Shira walked down the stairs dressed in a short sleeved red shirt that fitted loosely on the small woman's body and a pair of cargo shorts reaching to her knees with her black bag on her back. She wore her special pair of white and red shoes which contained wheels at the bottom which would pop out when she pressed a button on the side. In her right hand was her blue pole that she gripped tightly onto.

Shira stepped into the living area where her parents were sitting down watching the television. She walked in front of the television, catching their full undivided attention. "Mother, Father, I'm leaving."

Her father, a middle-aged male with black hair and wearing a brown suit stared at his daughter with widened eyes. "What are you talking about? You did not give us any notice of your departure. Where are you going?"

"I'm going take the Hunter Exam," she responded calmly with a determined gaze in her eye. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about last night, but you were both too busy with that dinner."

"I don't approve of this," Mayuri said as she stood to her feet. "Why would you choose such a dangerous job? You could get yourself killed out there! We settled that you would take over the business once the time arrived."

Shira's gaze saddened as she stared at her parents. They cared for her well-being, but when it came to life choices, they were a bit overprotective. "I know the risks, but it's something I want to do. Just because I'm small, it doesn't mean that I can't handle myself. It just motivates me to do a better job of defending myself. I'll be fine, so you don't have anything to worry about."

"Are you sure this is the path you wish to follow?" her father, Inori, questioned with a narrowed gaze.

The young maiden felt a bit intimidated by her dad's piercing eyes, but she swallowed her fear and nodded her head, "Yes, I do."

"I guess I can't deny you of your own choices," Inori said giving in.

"_Wow, that was easier than I thought," _she thought with a sweat drop clinging to the back of her head.

"My little girl is finally growing up," Mayuri commented as a single tear rolled down her face. "Please be careful out there and make sure you visit."

"I will be sure to," Shira answered with a smile. She gave each of her parents a hug and a kiss goodbye before running out of the door to begin her journey. The moment the door shut behind Shira, Mayuri and Inori frowned darkly in the direction she had gone.

"There's no way she'll make it out there on her own," the woman stated in a matter of fact tone. "There has to be some way that we can make her regret that silly little decision of hers so she'll come back home where she belongs to the future we have set her up for."

By the time she had finished her statement, the older man had pulled out his phone, "Don't worry, I will have it handled accordingly."

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**A/N: And that's it for now. I'm not very good when it comes to beginning chapters, but I had to show a little bit of where my character comes from. The next chapter is where the real stuff begins as Shira goes on to take the Hunter exam. I'm not sure how often this will be updated, but doubt it will be very often. I hoped you guys enjoy it and make sure to review so I can hear your thoughts about the story so far.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here I am back with another chapter of Journey. I know the last chapter had a slow start, but it was to get a little background of the main character. I didn't want to jump straight into the Hunter Exam where all the characters meet up at like in most stories. This is Shira's journey to become a hunter and the only way to show that is to begin at her starting point and not at the most typical place to begin with. Anyway, I wanna thank the ones who have reviewed the first chapter and put this on their favorite/alert list. The story will only go up from this point on. Please be sure to send in your thoughts because they give me the motivation to keep writing. Without further ado, I present to you the next installment of Journey.**

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**Chapter 2**

**Deceiving X Appearances**

Shiraishi Ayumu shuffled through the ever expanding crowd inside of Ringon Airport. As usual, there appeared to be at least hundreds of individuals that were scrambling around or simply waiting for their flight number to be called so they could depart. As to make sure she would not be troubled by the security or older citizens in general, the hood of her cloak remained over her head and a pair of sunglasses remained firm over her eyes. She had a specific time to board the airship, so any one obstacle could ultimately hinder her opportunity of becoming a professional hunter; if she passed the hunter exam that is.

While the young maid continued in her tracks to the main corridor, she examined the surroundings as a safety precaution. Although the airport contained a high level of security, all sorts of trouble could easily break out, sending everyone into a state of pandemonium. Unsurprisingly, there was a shady group of well-dressed males with black sunglasses and holding briefcases in their hands, talking amongst one another in what seemed to be hushed tones while carefully looking around. As opposed to the one suspicious group of individuals, she could see many people greeting each other in all sorts of fashions, meaning it had been a while since they had been in their company.

Watching the heartwarming sights was like a bittersweet moment for her because she would not be able to have that type of experience with her parents. They were too indulged in their work to particular care about anything other than themselves majority of the time. They did care for her and she found it shocking that they accepted her decision so easily, but she knew their acceptance was nothing but a farce so she would have to be careful. Her father would have eyes everywhere and probably have them bring her home without her consent. However, she would deal with that when the moment truly made itself know.

Shira looked forward once more, now seeing the receptionist come into her full view. The black haired maiden added a swift movement to her pacing, moments before arriving at the podium in which the woman stood. Before she had the chance to request the ticket she needed to board the airship, Shira removed her previously empty hand from behind the cloak and reached it forward. The receptionist, a female with long blonde hair and blue eyes, took the small slip of paper and tore off the stub after reading it.

A sly grin appeared on the woman's lips as she handed back the remaining slip of paper, "Do you think you really have what it takes to be a hunter? You can easily lose your life in the first phases of it. I've seen my fair share of rookies go off to take it and believe me, all of them never came back, so why don't you do yourself a favor and return home? It'll make things a whole lot easier for yourself and your family. It'd be a shame to see someone so young have their life ripped away from them trying to pursue a dangerous goal."

The Ayumu nodded in response, "I understand your concern, but I am prepared to embark down that path. It is my decision to choose alone and no one can stop me from achieving my goals, including my loved ones. In fact, this could be one of the best ways to protect them from danger if I obtain my license."

The older woman's eyes grew happy at the statement, but they also reflected sadness, "If only I could meet more applicants like you that show that type of determination. Half of the ones that came here walked away after I told them about the chances of their survival. Good luck and become a great hunter. Go straight ahead and you'll see the red airship headed towards Siphon City."

"Thank you," Shira said gratefully. Without another word, Shira stepped into the corridor with the pole held tight in her left hand and walked until she reached the outside in a matter of moments where a few airships waited for passengers to board in order to embark on the journey. Dead ahead of her, just as the worker had said, was a large blue airship that would take her to the closest airport to Zaban City. She removed the hood, now away from any pestering adults, and calmly walked towards the airship.

To be honest, the young woman was quite terrified because what the receptionist told her was indeed quite true. It was a _very _small percentage of rookies who truly became hunters, but the nature of the exam caused most of the initial rookies to either fail or die altogether. She wanted to be part of the small percentage that successfully passed the exam and go on to pursue her dreams. "_I can't fall into the statistics. I __**will **__pass the exam. If I can't, I'll try harder and do better the next time. I refuse to follow the same career path as my parents whether they accept it or not." _

As Shira approached the open door of the aircraft, she inhaled a deep breath of air and exhaled it seconds after in an attempt to calm her raging nerves. With her mind eased, she stepped into the door and almost immediately, she could feel the tense atmosphere surrounding her. She examined the rather spacious tan colored room quite carefully only to see a bunch of older males wearing smug grins on their lips as they stared back at her.

While the young woman went to the nearest corner of the room, she noticed that there was not a single friendly face among the crowd, but who would bother to spare a happy glance in a potentially deadly profession? If anything, this lovely group of individuals would probably use every single stop to shoot down her hopes of ever becoming a hunter. The lady at the desk was a clear exception because it was her job to test her level of determination before simply allowing her to walk on the airship all willy-nilly.

'_It looks like there might be a lot of competition," _she mused to herself. The roguish appearances of the male occupants of the room brought a strange tingle of excitement to her. _'These are the types of people I'll be going against, but no matter what is said, I can and will pass this first time around.'_

She leaned her pole against the wall and placed her bag on the floor next to her feet as she silently propped her back on the wall. She closed her eyes, ignoring the predatory gazes. She knew they had to be plotting against her or simply mocking her very presence, but that was the least of her worries. Her eyes were solely focused on the bigger picture so getting frustrated with temporary people would only waste her time and energy. On the other hand, should they choose to attack her, she would reach for her trusty weapon and knock them senseless if it was required.

"It's nice to see a pretty, young rookie like you here," stated an unfamiliar voice.

Shira opened her eyes slowly; the amber orbs landing on a _seemingly _friendly older man. He stood almost as tall as her, but his body shape was on the robust side. His hair was a light brown color with thick eyebrows and stubble across the lower regions of his face of the same color. He had green, beady eyes that reflected a sort of cruelty and self-interest. As for his clothing attire, it consisted of a gray body suit covered by a long blue shirt with a white strip coming up from the bottom. Finally, he had a brown satchel strapped onto his right shoulder and reaching past his waist on his left side.

"Hello there," she greeted hesitantly. Shira had placed herself on guard at his comment. No one should know right off the back that anyone aboard this ship was a first time examinee. "And thank you. However, how would you know that I'm a rookie?"

"You can say that I am a veteran," he stated in a prideful tone. "After all, this will make my 35th attempt at taking the exam."

Her body naturally grew tense and a sweat drop slowly clung to the back of her head, '_There's no way someone can take the exam that number of times and be proud of it. Is there a specific reason for it or is the test simply hat hard to pass? I think it's best to really watch this guy.'_

The man chuckled at the young maiden's reaction, "The Hunter exam is nothing easy so if you have any questions, feel free to ask." He extended his arm forward for a handshake and a smile upon his features, "My name is Tonpa." While he may have kept a friendly disposition on the outside, it was nothing compared to the true ambitions he kept hidden to those he met for the first time. '_Just like with the others, this girl is going to fail before she even gets the chance to start.'_

Shira gazed at his hand cautiously as she hesitantly reached her hand forward to lock with his, "I am Shiraishi Ayumu. It's a pleasure to meet you Tonpa-san."

"Like-wise," the now named Tonpa responded. He reached into his bag, pulling out two orange cans of juice, gesturing for her to take one. "Here, let's have a little toast to our new friendship."

She frowned as a sinking feeling formed in the pit of her gut. There was something about this man that did not settle with her and she simply refused to take anything he would offer her. "I'm sorry, but while it is a nice gesture, I simply can't accept it. It's not in my nature to take something from someone I have no knowledge of."

While a simple no would have been fine, the young woman always found it as a habit to show the fullest extent of her manners to someone older than her or one she felt uncomfortable around. Tonpa growled to himself, his plans having been thwarted, '_This brat knows more than she lets on, but I know just exactly how to send her running home." _The man continued to display his friendly demeanor to show that he was not bothered by her refusal, "It's alright. I can accept that. I'll be seeing you later, but again, if you need anything just ask."

The blacked haired woman nodded in response and watched as he went back to whatever corner of the room he crawled from. She sighed to herself as she thought about what just happened, '_People really will go as far as to pretending to be your friend to knock you down. I guess I won't be able to trust anyone if that's the way they like to eliminate the competition. Then again, I can't hold this true to everyone after this one time. I'll just see how it goes here on out, but I will have to keep my eyes open."_

"Excuse me everyone, may I have your attention?" announced a new voice.

Shira's eyes darted towards the crowd of males fathering together towards the door that led into the hallway and quickly grabbed her things before running off to join the group. She pushed herself to the front to find a tall slim male dressed in an all blue suit with black hair and two nearly identical red haired females of her own height dressed in identical clothing as the man.

"Thank you for your cooperation so far and apologize for the wait," the man stated in a smooth toe. "I, Hachiro, promise you all a safe journey to our destination. Now if you all don't mind, please follow Tsubome and Tsubane to your rooms."

The woman to the man's left side smiled warmly at the group, "I'm Tsubome, if the front portion of the group would be so kind, please follow me to your rooms."

Without another word, the three workers of the ship backed away from the door and Tsubome proceeded to walk towards her left with the group of at least 20 following behind her. Shira remained close to the front as she followed behind the stewardess. Her amber eyes glided over to the walls on her right side, but there was nothing spectacular about them. They were just as plain and tan as the pilot's room; not even a picture or so in sight. On her left was the long line of windows giving the crowd a nice view of the station. However, none of this took away from the crawling suspicions that were growing in the pit of her gut.

Ever so slightly, she eased her attention towards the small crowd of men behind her to see the devious Tonpa slightly glaring in her direction. Quickly, she turned her eyes back towards the front once more as to not accidentally bump into the stewardess. She brought her free hand up to her chin as a thoughtful expression displayed on her features. '_What had I done to Tonpa for him to glare at me like that? Is it because I didn't accept his drink? That's a stupid reason to be angry at someone unless he spiked it. Maybe that's why. He wants to eliminate me from the exam, but why? Is it to make it easier for him to pass or just because he finds it fun to do? Whatever the case is, I need to keep my eyes wide open."_

Shira snapped out of her musings as she felt her body lightly bump into the stewardess in front of her. When the young woman realized what happened, an embarrassed smile appeared on her lips, "Excuse me, I'm sorry about that. I really need to watch where I'm going."

Tsubome gave a slight wave of her hand as she turned around to meet the gaze of the exam applicant, "It's quite alright. Anyway, this will be your room during the trip. Everything should be to your liking and if you ever need anything, please ring the buzzer."

Shira nodded and opened the door leading into the room. As she did so, she gave one final side glance to the browned haired man and frowned just as he walked away with the rest of the group. '_I'm watching you Tonpa. I won't let you have it your way.' _

She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She examined the room and just like the other parts of the ship, the room was positively plain. She had to admit, it was not too big or too small; just enough to fit her needs as it was only a temporary boarding room. In the far right corner was a fully dressed twin sized bed, simply waiting for her to climb into for a deep slumber and directly across from it was a small dresser with a television on top. There was another door next to the bed and from what she could figure it had to be a bathroom. "I guess I should probably enjoy the luxury of a bed for a little while longer. Who knows just how long the exam is gonna take once it starts."

Shira walked over to the bed and placed immediately placed her items on the foot before falling into it stomach down. She stared at the wall in front of her before slowly closing her eyelids, covering her amber orbs. The comfort she felt was almost hypnotizing, luring her into the world of dreams.

Not quite an hour later, the young woman's lids popped wide open as she felt a large jerk that sent her tumbling on the side of the bed, face first. She quickly jumped to her knees before bringing her bandaged hands up to her nose that was now bleeding. "OUCH! This isn't any way to wake someone up! That really hurt!"

She moved to her feet and walked towards the bathroom door. Although the bathroom was on the other side of her bed, walking to it was not an easy feat. It felt as if the entire ship was shaking around, making it nearly impossible to remain balanced and causing her almost slip several times. "I hope there is something seriously wrong for the ship to be moving like this."

After what seemed like forever, she walked into the brightly lit bathroom and reached for the toilet tissue. As to not be bothered by having to keep her head titled back, she tore off two small pieces, rolled them up, and placed them gently into her nostrils. At least this way, she would be able to go check out the situation without running into something.

Shira carefully exited the bathroom and proceeded towards the hallway door to begin her little investigation. The moment she opened the door, she was immediately met with the sight of Tonpa who looked as if he was preparing to knock on it. Her expression deadpanned, "Tonpa, what are you doing here?"

The beady eyed man scratched the back of his head, "I just happened to be walking by and I heard a crash. I thought I would check in on you."

"Thank you for the concern," she responded in a confused tone. "But I'm just fine for the most part. I had a rude awakening."

He nodded in understanding and moved to the side with his eyes set on the window, "Probably because of this bad weather we're in. It just came out of nowhere."

Shira's amber eyes fell on the contents of the window. Sure enough, they were in the air, but the clouds were terribly dark and frightening. Every so often, she would see a flash of lightning followed by a rumble of thunder. Not only that if she listened closely enough, she could hear the howls of the wind as it forcefully beat into the airship and whipped around them. "And it was such a pretty day out there too."

"It's best that you stay in your room," Tonpa stated with a seemingly innocent grin. "There's no need to get hurt any more than you already are."

"I suppose that's true," she responded pretending to listen to his advice.

While it would have been necessary to stay in her room to remain safe, she felt there was more to what was going on. The people over the flights were supposed to know early on about how the weather will conflict with their flights should the conditions become unfavorable. They should have at least postponed or even cancelled if they knew it was going to turn out this way especially since the exams were not for another two day. Then again, it was suggested to leave at least three days before in order to allow proper time to find the location in Zaban City. The tidbit of information she received was extremely vague so she'd need any type of nudge in the right direction to get to the building.

"Yeah, I'll go check things out and I'll let you know if anything's wrong," the beady eyed man said before walking off.

Shira narrowed her eyes in his direction, suspicious of his intentions and waited until he was far enough away to quietly follow behind.

Tonpa, on the other hand, smiled darkly to himself in triumph as he headed towards the captain's room, _'What she doesn't know is that the Hunter Exam has already started. If she stays in the room, the pilot will think she was knocked out during the storm and withdraw her.'_

He enjoyed toying with the minds of the rookies who aspired to complete the exam. They always come in the building with hopeful looks in their eyes, ready to claim the title those who trained for years just to make it past the first few phases. He always approached the majority of them, attempting to gain their friendship and offering them drinks that were contained with laxatives or anything of the sort. If that did not work, he would use other methods to completely ruin their chances and by the time he was finished with them, they vowed to never take it again.

Due to his predatory natures on the first time examinees, he was named the "Rookie Crusher" by those who had taken it multiple times. He loved seeing the defeated gazes and crushed spirits so that's why he prided himself in the task. If the time called for it, he would even receive assistance from other veterans of the test. He did not care one bit about actually passing the potentially deadly exam; just the thrill of being able to stomp their spirits.

A chuckle escaped his lips, 'It gets easier every year to get rid of these little newcomers, but there are a few exceptions every once in a while. Usually they accept the juice, but if not, all it takes is a little work. One by one, they all fall.'

He continued to walk in silence, so lost in his evil musings that he failed to realize he was being silently tailed by the young Ayumu. Despite the sounds of the raging storm on the outside, she could faintly hear his thought silent mumblings. Her eyes narrowed, _'I knew I couldn't trust him. I wonder if he's one of the causes why rookies don't pass that often. He's eliminating them before they can get too far. What caused him to get into the habit of doing this in the first place? Well, just as long as I don't fall for his tricks I'll be just fine. I hope the other rookies for this year aren't as gullible."_

'CRACKLE!'

'BOOM!'

Shira nearly froze in her spot and sweat drops formed on her face at the sudden eruption of lightning outside of the ship. All before, she only saw the streaks flash across the dark sky meaning that it was not in their area yet, but now that it was, she only hoped they would be able to make it to their destination alive. She shook it off a moment later to see Tonpa was no longer in sight, meaning he arrived at his destination.

After another few moments, she arrived at the door leading into the room they had first arrived to see Tonpa and three other males standing in front of Hachiro. Hachiro smiled when he saw the young woman enter the room and gestured for her to approach them. When Tonpa saw her for himself, his mood soured, exasperated that she had not listened to his 'advice.'

"_I'm glad to see that there are a few soldiers aboard the ship,"_ Hachiro thought to himself as he examined the applicants_. 'Everyone else has been knocked out by the force of the storm and as a result, I had to send the notifications of their withdrawals from the exam. Now to test their resolve.' _He remained silent for a few more moments and his gaze hardened at the applicants, "Tell me, why do you all want to become a hunters?"

Shira was the first to speak up, "Because I love information. I guess you can say I have a craving to further my knowledge about any and everything. I also know the only way to learn what I want is to get my license."

Hachiro could almost feel the passion from the young woman's words. It was always a pleasant sight to him seeing first time applicants so full of life and hope though it was always a shame knowing that most of them never achieved their goals…the first time around at least. The determined gleam shining in her eyes assured him that she would go very far and never let anything pull her down. "So, you want to be an information hunter then? That's quite the dream you have then but I'm sure you'll accomplish it."

"I'm trying to take down some of the most wanted criminals," responded a tall man with long brown hair. "It's mostly for the money, but some of the things they've done cannot be forgiven."

They listened to each other until it was finally Tonpa's turn to inform the man of his goals. Of course, his true intentions would remain a secret, "I'm looking for something as well. I'm not exactly sure just yet, but I'll know when I find it."

"It's always interesting finding those similar to you," he said lightheartedly. "They never have anything in specific in mind and simply go wherever their hearts may lead them."

Shira's curiosity was getting aroused as she listened to their comments, "It sounds as if you've done this multiple times."

"You are indeed quite right," Hachiro responded as he turned his back to the applicants. He walked towards the window with his hands behind his back and stared into the rampaging skies before them, "I serve as the person who tests the applicants aboard my ship, usually by questioning their resolves or see how well they handle the conditions. They are simply too many applicants for the Hunter Association to check for themselves so they hire people like us to get rid of the weak apples. In fact, with the exception of you two, I sent the notification to the association to know of the others withdrawal."

Shira's eyes widened in shock but Tonpa merely shrugged it off and nodded in agreement. "What happened?"

Hachiro groaned and released a sigh from his lips, "Let's just say when the conditions turned unfavorable, a few string of events occurred showing just how well they can handle the outside world. However, that is none of your concern as you all pass on to the main exam. Normally, if you'd been on another vessel, the person in charge would have given you more trouble, but I can tell by the looks in your eyes that you all have what it takes to become successful in your efforts. Even if you don't pass this time around there is always the next one."

A large smile appeared on the Ayumu's lips. She did not know the man would pass them all that easily, but she was relieved that she would be able to move forward in her goal.

"You may now return to your rooms for the remainder of the flight," he said with a light smile. "Make sure you all sleep well because you will need it."

When he finished, the group of applicants exited the room and down the hall towards their resting quarters. Shira felt relieved, but she knew it would only get progressively harder as she continued down the road towards her dream.

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**A/N: That's it for now, but I hoped you guys liked it. The beginning is always a very rocky start for me, but as the chapters go on, I will get better and better so please stick around with me. If need be, I will come back and edit parts that seem real shaky. Please send in your thoughts because they give me motivation to keep dishing out the chapters. Anyway, that's all I have to say.**

**Until Next Time!**

**Mystic Milli**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with the next part of Journey. Again, I know I'm not getting very much reception for this story, but I write because I want to and it allows me to let my creative juices flow more with this story along with my others. I am only hoping that you guys are enjoying it to the fullest and I will always to my best to make sure it stays that way. Anyway, without further ado, I present to you the latest installment of Journey.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter or anything in the franchise. I just own my OC Shira Ayumu and the adventures she go through away from the main story.**

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**Chapter 3**

**Test X After X Test**

The skies were now blue and calm compared to the terrible storm that brewed shortly after her departure from Yorknew City into the morning hours of the next. Despite the dangerous conditions, the airship arrived safely at its destination of Siphon City, one of the closest areas to the main exam through airship travel. Depending on the area of departure, one had a different method of transportation towards a city or town closest to the location of the potentially deadly exams. Now, Shiraishi Ayumu was standing in front of the ever busy airport examining the sites around her.

After arriving in the city, Hachiro gave the applicants he passed on to the main phase of the Hunter Exam a nudge in the right direction and they all went their separate ways, possibly to get more supplies for the trip ahead, Tonpa being the first one to go to her relief. A day or so before her departure from her home, she had received only a small bit of information of the whereabouts of the exam city wise, but she had no idea as to where it was exactly. From what she knew, Zaban was a shady town and visitors could easily get sidetracked if they did not know anything about it. However, she could only assume she had to get where she needed to know by using her knowledge and listening to the advice of Hachiro. Realizing this, she gave a firm nod to herself and proceeded towards the nearest map.

As the amber eyed woman walked around, the sites of the city reminded her a bit of home. The streets were cluttered with traffic of people trying to get to their destinations, but angered by the fact that they were not budging an inch. The buildings were tall in height and clumped together, meaning that this was the business district, fluttered with hotels and actual flourishing companies. If anything, the houses would be on the other side of the city.

At the same time, this seemed to be one of those places in which everyone knew one another as she saw bunches of people talking to each other happily. In contrast to her hometown, you're lucky to know more than 10 individuals outside your family unless you went to school. At least it made it easier to stay to herself outside of that particular setting. She had very little worries about classmates coming to her home for an unexpected visit.

Honestly, in the world she lived in, people were more focused on becoming hunters, only to fail and return to their daily lives or not come back at all because they had died during the early stages. In fact, she had several classmates dropped out of school just to go take it. She knew from the beginning they would not make the cut and _if _they returned days later after attempting it they would not exactly be the same person due to the extremities they were forced to endure during their short time as examinees. So while her peers practically threw their lives away, she bided her time and trained enough to get through the first phases. Anything after, she would have to rely on her brains and weaponry skills to pursue any further.

Shira sighed to herself, snapping out of her musings before looking up. Without really paying attention, she had found the map of the city and a thoughtful expression appeared on her features as she placed her index finger at the bottom of her chin. It was a basic overview, giving only the most important places for one to check out. Her eyes landed on a tower located in the right corner of the map towards the top.

Her eyes lit up instantly as the light bulb went off in her head, "So that's where I need to go." She tilted her head to the side, slightly confused by her next destination. "But what am I supposed to be doing at a tower? How is that going to get me any closer to Zaban? I know I shouldn't doubt Hachiro, but this is real strange. I have no reason to doubt his judgment and he promised I would be able to get where I needed to go."

Another determined nod to herself, the young woman bent down to press the buttons on the sides of her shoes. Popping out from the bottom were two wheels at the front and back of each shoes, though the sudden transition nearly caused her to lose all of her balance. She dug her staff into the ground in order to maintain her ground and stood tall once more. She smiled triumphantly, happy that she did slip onto the ground, and used the weapon as a kick start into the direction she needed to go.

After the one stroke to push off and one foot behind the other, she attained a swift yet comfortable pace, faster than any running that she would normally attempt before tripping. While it was easy for her to trip over a simple crack or even trip over her own feet, she knew how to avoid such fates on her skates as there would be more disastrous results. She had a bigger worry of losing her balance more than anything.

She zipped right past all the pedestrians who merely looked on in shock, surprised by her sudden appearance. She smiled and waved in response while making sure she did not ump into people ahead of her and end up causing a ruckus as well as delaying the time to get to her location.

Shira continued in her tracks without distraction, _'At this speed, I'll be at the tower in only a matter of time. I just hope I beat Tonpa there so he won't try to make things harder for me.' _The thought of that predatory man caused a frown to appear on her delicate lips, _'I don't get why he's trying to prevent rookies from moving forward. I'm just glad that I wasn't gullible enough to fall for his tricks. Then again, he has a lot of years of experience in doing this so I'm sure he has plotted all sorts of ways to get us to fail. I know I can't avoid every single one, but I will do my best to make sure I pass.'_

The young woman gasped in shock as she heard a few yells that snapped her out of her thoughts, realizing she was about to cause trouble because of her lack of attention. She swerved to the left as to avoid a little girl with her puppy as they strolled along the sidewalk. She looked back and gave a sigh of relief, happy that she did not collide into the young ones. "That was a close one. I really need to start paying more attention. I can't lose focus like that."

She focused her gaze solely to the front of her once more and up ahead, she noticed the scenery was beginning to change. The sidewalk was coming to an end; now joining a road paved with nothing but dirt. The buildings now appeared to be dilapidated and smaller in size, but despite the fact, she still aw people occupying them as they sat on the porches, watching her closely. As she examined further, almost everyone appeared to be dressed in rags, including the children who ran around the streets from one another or angry adults who they stole from. This caused her to slow down to a snail's pace as to not run into any of the rambunctious children or furious individuals

Her gaze softened as she analyzed the saddening scene, _'It looks like every city has that one bad part.' _While it pained to her see the citizens in such a pathetic shape, she knew that if she even stopped for a minute, her items could perhaps be stolen right from under her nose. She truly did want to help the people in some way, now was not the time. That was what she thought until she saw a little boy up ahead that was standing in the middle of the street and refused to budge an inch as she grew closer. As the street had become narrow since her entrance in this section of the city, there was not much of a way around him, so she had no choice but to come to a complete halt, inches before the little child.

The boy appeared to be about five or six in age with light blue hair and hazel eyes. He wore a tattered and dirtied white t-shirt along with black shorts. He looked as if he had not eaten and received the nutrition his body needed in a few days due to his nearly bony appearance. He gazed up at the woman with the saddest eyes he could possibly muster up with his hands stretched forward in a begging fashion.

"Please, can you help me," the boy whispered in a hoarse voice.

Shira nearly cracked. Who was she to deny such an unfortunate little kid? A tear nearly escaped her eye as she dropped to her knees, "Aw of course." The amber eyed woman reached for her bag and placed it on the ground before her. She shuffled through the bag and pulled out a few coins and a chocolate bar she bought prior to heading to the airport. She smiled warmly, placing it in his hands, "I'm sorry, but this is all I have. I hope you enjoy it."

The child's lips broadened into a large smile that brightened the woman's mood, "Thank you so much miss."

Shira watched as the boy ran off into the alleyway where he joined a girl about his age; perhaps his sister. H split the candy bar in half and shared it with the girl before they each began to nibble on the sugary treats. '_It's so sad to see kids in this shape, but at least I could help them. I know that's not healthy for them, but at least they can get food in their bodies; they really needed it.' _

Knowing she had accomplished a good deed, she proceeded forward through the narrow streets, sure to avoid any and all obstacles placed before her, that is, until her path seemingly came to an end due to a peculiar placed roadblock in the form of a scenery wall displaying a blooming cherry blossom tree surrounded by a small lake. Before she could question the odd presence, she felt something land gently on her hand. She looked down to see a cherry blossom petal, "I'm really starting to wonder about all of this."

'_Pling'_

Suddenly, several individual jumped from the roofs of the buildings while others crept from the alleys, each holding small harps in their hands. They appeared to be female as they were all dressed in pink kimonos, but their faces were hidden behind masks of varying animals.

"Um, hello there," the woman greeted the nicely dressed maidens with a nervous grin. The only response she received was total silence followed by another pluck of the harp. She paled, feeling completely ignored. A sweat drop clung to the back of her head, "I know they heard me."

Her attention was grabbed once again as a flurry of pink petals blew into the street from above with a huge gust of wind and swirled around in front of the wall, forming the outline of a figure. The wind and petals slowly died down and once it came to a complete halt, they dropped to the ground, revealing a tall beautiful woman. Her long hair was a silky white color; pulled to the back by a small comb. She was dressed in a pink flowery kimono with a white wrap tied around to the back and brown sandals. She had one hand placed on her hip, while the other contained a fan that covered her face that remained below her closed eyes.

'_This gets more interesting as the minutes go by,' _Shira thought to herself as she clapped for the graceful woman's entrance.

The mysterious woman opened her eyes, revealing black orbs that examined the hunter applicant from head to toe. She remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking, "Welcome traveler. I hope you are prepared for what is in store for you because now that you have entered my sanctuary there is no turning back. If you do, then you shall be disqualified."

'Pling Pling Pling'

Shira did admire the woman's elegant way of speaking, she could not help but feel that she was trying a little bit too hard. '_I wonder if it's like this for some of the other applicants.'_

The kimono clad woman closed her fan and sat down in a chair placed for her convenience by woman of the other individuals. She narrowed her eyes and stretched her arm out forward with her fan directed at the Ayumu maiden pointedly, "Answer my question correctly and I shall allow you to move forward in your quest."

Shira's expression turned stern, switching her mind into serious mode. She did not know what the woman was going to ask, but she had to be ready to analyze anything that was going to be thrown at her. If she answered wrong, it would mean the end of her chances of becoming a hunter this year, "I'm positive I'll be able to answer the question you have in mind. I do not plan on failing nor will I back down."

The examiner smiled warmly and giggled to herself, amused by the determination the hazel eyed woman displayed. "Such beautiful fortitude always brings a light to my eyes, but I will be the one to determine if you are prepared." Another chord was strung as there was a pause in her speech, "You have discovered a great betrayal from your loved ones…your parents. They each have separate plots and must kill one in order to preserve the peace. Who will be the one you murder by your hands? You have ten seconds to respond in an appropriate manner."

A sudden anger rose in the woman as a vein appeared on the side of her head. She growled to herself as she tightly gripped the staff in her left hand, "I mean no disrespect, but just what kind of question is that?! Who could be as so horrible to kill their own parents?! I admit that I don't have the best relationship with my own and they may have their flaws, but that doesn't mean I'll take their lives! How can I answer a question correctly when neither one of them is right!"

The woman's eyes widened in shock; amazed that Shira had already come to the conclusion of the question. However, she couldn't let her know that, "I demand silence traveler! You are to not speak another word unless it is one of the two choices I have provided to you! Should you continue to speak, you will be dismissed and will have to wait until next year."

'Ten.'

Shira growled in greater frustration as she was now seething in anger, '_This doesn't make any sense! I can't answer that."_

'Nine.'

'_My may have not paid that much attention to me, but that doesn't give me any right to take their lives._

'Eight.'

'_Maybe, what if I'm not supposed to? Her eyes did change a bit the moment I said it wasn't right._

'Seven.'

A light bulb had gone off in the young adult's head. _'I was right then! There is no correct answer. It's just like I said, no one in their right mind would take their parents' lives.'_

'Six.'

'_However, what if there comes a time where I something like that does happen?_

'Five.'

_Could I even be able to decide who lives and dies out of the two of them?_

'Four.'

She stared at her hands intently, sweat drops slowly appearing on the side of her head, _'I don't think I could ever do that.'_

'Three.'

She clenched them as much as she could; annoyed that she could not figure out an answer, _'This is something I would have to think about. It depends on what type of crime or anything they plan to commit and the way they betray me.'_

'Two.'

'_I can't decide the answer right now, but there will be a day where I will have to make such a choice.'_

'One.'

'_And when that time comes, I must be ready. That's the purpose of this test.'_

A chord was strung yet again, signaling the end of the applicant's time.

"Your time is over," the examiner responded curtly. "Tell me, why did you choose to remain silent?"

Shira's gaze had softened, now having calmed down, "Because, silence was the best answer in this scenario. That is something I cannot answer today or tomorrow. I won't be able to decide until the situation actually occurs. At that moment, I will be forced to make that decision, even if I will have to live with the guilt for the remainder of my life."

'_And that's the true purpose of my question. One who chooses to follow the path of a hunter must prepare themselves for the absolute worst scenario,' _she thought to herself. _'In fact, they must be willing to descend their hearts into the darkness if they wish to achieve what they accomplish.'_

"Um…is something wrong?" Shira questioned with her head titled to the side in confusion. The examiner had been staring at her for a few moments without saying a single word and it was beginning to worry her slightly.

"Oh, it's always interesting meeting people similar to you. It brings a little amusement into my life," she answered with a slight chuckle. She walked over to her left, motioning for the Ayumu to come over, and opened a door that led into a long dark hallway. "Anyway, if you follow this path, you will arrive at the bell tower in which you seek and there you will meet a navigator who will take you to the exam site, should you meet their standards of course. Do your best and become a good hunter."

"Thank you very much, I will," Shira responded with a little bow before entering the door.

The moment she fully entered the dark hallway, the door immediately shut behind her; leaving her in complete darkness. She could not make heads or tails of any of her surroundings, but one thing she knew for sure, she was still facing forward. "I really hope I can get through this place. It's so dark in here! Why couldn't there at least be a few lights so I don't trip over anything? I knew I should've brought that flashlight. Maybe I'll pick one up in Zaban if I have the time."

Shira activated her skates once more and proceeded down the extremely dark path. She moved at a snail's pace once again as to avoid bumping into mysterious objects as her vision had been extremely obscured. She did not want to have one of her klutzy moments, but at the same time, she knew it would take forever to get to the tower. Who knows how long this path was? For all she knew, it could be designed to take several hours or a day to get to the end. She sighed to herself before taking the risk of speeding up down the path in order to reach the end of the dark path.

The young maiden did not know how long or far she had traveled due to the lack of light in her surroundings. After so much time, her legs began to feel a little weary of travel, but she kept pushing forward. She would not give in so easily; she had a mission to accomplish and would not allow herself to turn back. She continued going until, at long last, she saw a ray of light shining ahead. A large smile appeared on her lips as she knew she had approached the end of the route.

She rushed through the doorway and came to a complete halt as she examined her new surroundings. Night had fallen as the full moon laminated in the dark blue sky along with the burning stars millions miles away. All around her was a field of grass lined with several trees on each side, which all led up to the medium sized, black bell tower about four stories tall, straight ahead. She stared at the building in awe, her amber eyes shining brightly as she examined it as best as she could. By its appearance, it seemed like something out of an old movie, but she knew it had to be here for quite some time.

Unfortunately, this was to sight see and proceeded towards the tower. Shira approached the double towers cautiously and knocked lightly on it, only to be surprised that the door crept open on its own. She hesitantly poked her head in before fully entering the building, "Hello, is anybody here?"

No answer.

She glanced around, but as there was not a single light shining in the building, except for the moon's light shining through the small windows, she could hardly see anything. The main thing she could make out was a staircase to her right that apparently spiraled to the top.

"AH! Help me!" yelled a mysterious child's voice.

Shira looked around, puzzled about where the voice had come from, but of course, she did not see a thing. She looked to the upper level of the stairs to see a dark clad figure carrying a small girl flailing in their arms. From what she could tell, she had blonde hair and wore a white sundress. Yet again, the young woman could not turn her back on a young child in trouble. Of course, it was quite strange that one so young would even be in a place like this all alone. She would chastise the parents and the girl later, but now, she had to rescue her.

She dashed to the stairs and ran after the mysterious individual who began running to the top. The steps were a little steep, causing the young woman to nearly trip in her rapid pace while on the other hand, the kidnapper ran as if it was a walk in the park for them.

"Hey! Get back here and leave the girl alone!" Shira yelled in anger.

The mysterious person glanced back but continued on until they reached a door at the top, closing it behind them. Shira arrived moments afterwards and swung the door open to reveal the figure standing near the edge on the opposite side of the large bell that slowly swung in the middle.

"Please help me!" the little girl screamed in a frightened voice. "I don't wanna be with this scary person."

"Don't worry," Shira responded with a smile. She did not want the child to panic any more than necessary and wanted her to feel confident that she would be rescued. "I'll make sure you get home safe and sound."

Shira gripped her staff tightly as it now sat in the palms of both of her hands as she glared at the cloaked individual before her. Due to the fact that there were only dim lighting and kept a hood over their head, it made it even harder to make out any real distinguishable features. She glanced to the little blonde girl in their arms; worried for her safety and wellbeing. She could not risk attacking the person and the girl end up getting hurt in the crossfire. She had to find a way to get her away from him before making a full out assault on the kidnapper. "What can I do? We're in a tight spot and one wrong move can lead to our deaths. Think Shira, think. There must be something I can do."

Before she had the chance to mull over a possible solution, she saw a pearly white grin flash from underneath the hood, "Catch me if you can girly."

Without another word, the abductor calmly walked over the edge much to the horror of Shira. She could hear the cries of the little miss as she jumped over to the edge and looked down with a pair of wide eyes, unable to comprehend what just happened. "Is that guy crazy or what? She could get hurt, but I doubt he really cares. I can take the stairs down, though that'll take too long but if I jump, I'm bound to get myself killed." She growled to herself in frustration, "She'll be in even more danger if I don't do something. Well Shira, I guess you know what you have to do."

She closed her eyes as she swallowed a large lump that had formed in her throat and forced her legs to comply with her demands before jumping over the edge, allowing her body to plummet towards the ground. She immediately regretted her decision at that moment, "AAAHHHHH! This was a bad idea!"

Shira attempted to look down, but without the proper eyewear, she barely managed to get one eye open as the wind during her fall went against her. She did manage to catch a glimpse of the confident who had now reached the grassy plain and heading off into the distance towards the trees with the child still in tow. In a matter of seconds, Shira landed on her feet, but she felt the pain shoot up her entire body, causing her to remain still for a few seconds to ride it out.

"That was definitely a bad idea," she muttered to herself.

Once the pain had calmed down enough, she ran after the kidnapper yet again who had now escaped into the forest area. She broke through the trees, doing her best to chase after the abductor. It was hard to see, but she knew she was not too far behind him and continued applying the force necessary to keep up. Soon enough, she could see his silhouette and the cries of the little girl and using every last bit of her leg energy, she managed to fully catch up with him.

"You're a persistent one, I'll tell you that," the abductor stated as he glanced to the hunter applicant.

"You bet I am," she responded as brought her staff back. She swung it forward, but he jumped over it effortlessly into the air. However, a sly grin appeared on her lips as she used the chance to strike him where the sun didn't shine.

As a reaction, the figure released the child from their grasp but instead of actually catching the girl like she wanted, she fell to the ground as the girl had landed on her back.

'_As if I weren't in enough pain,' _Shira thought to herself as a tear drop fell from her eye. She looked back to the girl who was smiling brightly at her and could not help but to do the same. '_At least she's safe, that's the important thing.'_

"Thank you so much," the blonde girl responded happily before getting off the young woman.

"Any time," she responded with a weak smile. Shira turned over and slowly moved to her feet before glancing over to the person, now revealed to be a man with blonde hair, recovering from the lick against his private parts. Her eyes grew serious and pointed her staff right in his face, "Once you recover, tell me who you guys really are. I found it a little too convenient that this girl was being kidnapped just as I got to that tower. There's more to this."

The man chuckled to himself as he stood slowly to his feet and watched as the girl ran to his side, "Hahaha, looks like you got us. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the navigators and we provide support for the Hunter exam."

Shira's body grew tense at the statement. While she was clearly told that the navigator was at the tower, she had not thought they were the ones who helped with the exam. "Wow, you really pulled my leg."

"The exam site changes every year and it's real hard to locate it," the younger girl continued to explain. "So they get navigators to help guide applicants to the exam site, but we can't help every candidate. We test them to see if they're worthy of taking the exam."

"So, it works like that," Shira stated with a thoughtful expression.

The blonde 'kidnapper' gazed at the young Ayumu with a warm smile, "Shira-dono, while you were clearly alarmed by the situation you were thrown into, you risked your life to make sure you could get my sister out of harm's way. You analyzed the situation at the top of the tower and even used my evasion of your attack to your advantage. Your kindness and quick thinking makes you worthy to take the Hunter exam. You pass."

A large smile appeared on Shira's lips, happy that she had made it over another hurdle and finally had the privilege to take the main exam. _'I can only go up from here. I've made it this far and I won't stop at nothing to get my license.'_

"Now come with us, we will make our preparations to leave," the man said walking off with his sister following suit.

Shira nodded to herself and walked behind the duo, still elated that she managed to get to the main part.

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**A/N: And that's it for now. That was a long chapter and it took me over a week to write it so I really hope you guys enjoyed it to the fullest. I'm still new to the Hunter x Hunter fanfiction writing, but I am doing my best so you guys can have a great read. I hope my character doesn't seem like a Mary-Sue or anything because I'm really trying to avoid that. Next chapter begins the hunter exam where she will meet the other cast of characters. Please be sure to send in your reviews so I can know your thoughts and be able to improve on the story.**

**Until Next Time!**

**Mystic Milli**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here I am back with the latest installment of Journey. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far and I want to thank everyone who has reviewed/favorite/alerted up to this point. I am doing my best to give my readers, an enjoyable read when you venture into this section of the site. I really only got introduced to the 2011 series not very long ago, but when I started, I just couldn't stop. I managed to get caught up in only a matter of time and even went back to watch some of my favorite episodes while waiting for the newer ones to broadcast. Well, I think that's enough of my blabbering so without further ado, I present to you Chapter 4 of Journey.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunter x Hunter series or franchise; just my OCs created from my imaginative mind. I am merely a fan who writes this for the pure fun.**

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**Chapter 4**

**A X Very X Surprising X Offer**

A lone motorcycle carrying two people traveled along the countryside at great speed. The occupants aboard the vehicle were none other than the blonde haired navigator and the hunter applicant, Shira. Since the night before, the two had been riding in order to reach Zaban city in time for the young woman to take the exam. Shira had her arms wrapped around his waist with her staff placed in her bag. It would be a real pain to make it this far into the process of actually taking it, only to be turned away and deemed ineligible because she had been late to arrive at the designated location.

Shira sighed to herself, but it went unheard as the wind constantly whipped into their ears and combined with the sounds of the engine roaring only made the lack of hearing worse. Really, all she wanted was to get to the site and begin, because at this point, she was running on fumes. She would not be surprised if she fell asleep in her spot waiting for it to start. She was indeed quite happy that she had passed all the parts required, but the tight security and the time consuming process made it difficult to keep her sanity.

She looked from behind the navigator and a tired smile appeared on her lips as she saw buildings come into her view, growing larger as the seconds passed by. "Is that Zaban City? Are we finally almost there?"

Although she couldn't see it, he had smiled in response, "Yes, we are. And once we get into the city, it won't be long until we get you where you need to go."

"That's the second best set of news I've heard," she said, still displaying her tired smile.

"I suppose the first is that you passed my test to take it," the blonde man figured.

"Of course," she stated with a wide grin. Her expression fell shortly after and she stared blankly off into the distance, her amber eyes glazing over slightly. "There's something I want to know though. I know I may be overstepping my bounds a bit, but was it like this for everyone else who made it this far when they took their tests?"

"I don't mind, but no, they're all different," he answered simply. "No two navigators are exactly the same because each one has their own unique guidelines for passing the applicants that are in their area."

"I see," she responded with a thoughtful expression. "I can't wait to see the other examinees, besides the ones I met so far at least."

"I will tell you this: be _very _careful," the navigator stated in a grave tone. Shira was nearly shocked by his sudden change of tone, but quickly knocked it away. "I guarantee you will not like a host of who is present. It attracts dangerous people, but that is all I will say. You will learn it all for yourself momentarily."

Shira nodded in response, "Alright then." Although she did want to know a little bit more information about the characters she would meet, she had to respect the man's secrecy. She was the one taking the exam so it made sense for her to grasp the aspect behind it all.

The rest of the ride into the city went uneventful. The moment they reached the city limits, the buildings surrounded them, and from what she could tell, this was a more rustic type of time. The buildings were no more than two stories tall with a one way street with the sidewalks on both sides of the road, which were bustled with people and shops. It appeared to her that this was some type of shopping district, but the owners were only beginning to set up since it was the early hours of the morning. The people merely looked on with interest or slight anger as they whipped past thing, causing wind to strike up in the area, nearly causing some of the products to fall.

A smile appeared on her lips as she silently rode into the inner city limits. It was nice to see a prosperous town doing its best to stay where it's at or even trying to reach an even greater status. It made her thankful that she lived in an already fully industrious city. The society she lived in was based all around money. If one did not obtain the amount desired by those around them, they would be forced into a struggling situation; only making enough to barely survive.

As the two continued to ride, the streets bustled with pedestrian traffic, each headed to and from various places. Some appeared to seem as if they did not have a care in the entire world, while others had stress written all over their faces. What caught her attention though was the fact that they had a few groups of people or a single individual slowly walking behind another person with a slip of paper, all headed in the same direction.

It could be a coincidence but she would see once they all gathered at the site with the other applicants. She would have to be careful and make sure to heed her navigator's advice because she knew from day one that she was heading into dangerous territory just by taking the exam. It was already bad enough that had met someone like Tonpa, so she'd have to be cautious as to not fall for any tricks hidden up his sleeve. It would not be easy, but she was prepared, at least that's what she felt about it.

She snapped out of her thoughts when the vehicle came to a complete halt. The blonde man took off his helmet and prepared to get off the back. He looked to the young woman with a light smile, "We have arrived Shira-dono."

She jumped off the bike and looked to the building they now stood in front of as the man secured everything for his short leave. The building was extremely tall, in contrast to the ones on either side or the rest of the city, maybe at least twenty stories into the air, causing her to widen her eyes in admiration. _'So, this is the place where my journey will truly begin. People travel from all over the world in order to make their dreams a reality.'_

"This is the place," he said, snapping the young woman out of her thoughts yet again.

She focused her attention to the small restaurant next to the glamorous building and a sweat drop formed at the back of her head. "How could I let myself be so fooled?"

"It's a common mistake among rookies," he stated simply. "No one would expect the exams to occur in a place like this."

"They do an excellent job at keeping it hidden to ordinary people," she stated as she analyzed the humble restaurant even further. "Or even those who didn't go through the trials to even make it to his point."

"Exactly, but please follow me," he said as he walked towards the building.

Shira immediately followed behind and the two entered the building. As expected, it was just a regular eating establishment as there were several groups of people sitting at tables, talking and laughing amongst one another as they enjoyed their meals.

"Welcome," the chef greeted, never looking away from the pot in his hand. He was behind the counter, preparing food for a set of customers who sat on the stools.

"Is the back room open?" the blonde man questioned smiling.

The chef side glanced at the duo curious, "What would you like?"

The blonde man continued to smile coyly, much to the confusion of Shira, "The steak combo that opens your eyes to the light, for three."

Shira's attention was fully grabbed when she noticed the change in the man's expression. It changed to one of suspicion, causing her curiosity to rise even further. '_I wonder if that's some kind of password to get in.'_

"For three…How would you like them?" the chef questioned.

"Grilled over a low flame, until cooked," he responded back.

"Got it. Let yourself into the back room," the white clothed male stated curtly as he went back to concentrating on the food.

"Thank you," the blonde answered kindly. He walked away yet again, motioning for the young woman to follow him. He led her down a short hallway until they reached a door to the right and opened it, allowing her to enter.

The room was extremely simple, containing only a table and with three chairs and another set of double doors on the opposite side. Shira sighed at the sight, a little unimpressed at this point, "How long do I have to wait here?"

"You'll see," he answered shortly.

"Of course," Shira deadpanned, but gave a smile afterwards. "Thank you very much for all your help. It was real nice meeting you."

"The pleasure was all mine," he responded with a respectful bow. "And I would be honored to serve as your navigator again next year…but you're a smart girl."

Without another word he departed, closing the door behind him. A scowl appeared on her lips and her pupils vanished as a tiny vein appeared on her forehead. To say the least, the comment struck a chord at the young maiden, "I guess he doesn't think I'll pass, but I'm going to show him. I'll definitely leave with my license."

She took a seat and not a moment too soon, she heard a dinging noise and felt the entire room move. She looked up to see an electronic sign displaying the floor she was on, changing at least every few seconds. "So this is an elevator, huh? I guess this is gonna take me to the meeting site. I guess I better get comfortable since I don't know how long this is going to take."

She placed her bag on the table and folded her arms over the top before placing her head on them. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift off into a light slumber.

'Ding Dong'

"Why so soon?" she muttered to herself. She had barely managed to catch that piece of a nap and now she was already at the bottom. She grabbed her staff first to make sure it would be out for when needed and placed the bag on her back yet again. The double doors slid open automatically and the sight on the other side caused her to shudder to herself.

Instead of the simple hallway of the restaurant, she had now found herself in a large depressing tunnel containing various individuals, all hunter applicants. The second she stepped into the tunnel, she could almost feel the tense atmosphere that matched the stated of the tunnel, as they stared at her with their judgmental gazes. She felt as if they were stripping her down inside her minds, finding any and every weak spot in order to triumph over her.

"Just what did I get myself into," she mumbled, raising her guard. "I can tell these people are a whole lot different from some of the ones I met on the airship. Here I am an ordinary female trying to compete with these masters. If it's like this now, I wonder how I'll feel once more people show up."

"Hello. Please take this tag please," said a new voice.

Shira glanced to her left and right, puzzled by the sudden voice, but not seeing a soul in sight. Then she looked down to see a green headed thing wearing a blue business suit with a numbered tag in his hand. She blinked before taking it and saw the number 40 written on it when she turned it around. "I must still be early then."

"Please wear this on your chest at all times," he instructed kindly. "Be careful as to not lose it."

He walked off without another word. She clipped the tag on the right side of her cloak, _'It's kind of strange to have these tags, but I guess it's to keep track of how many people are here today. Then again, it could be for something more than that. Oh well, it is best not to dwell on something simple like this."_

"It's good to see you made it this far," said an extremely familiar voice.

Shira immediately stiffened at _his _voice and slowly turned around to see the potato nose man standing behind her. She displayed a weak smile, but on the inside, she was quite annoyed with his sudden presence and could feel her eye twitching slightly, _'Does this guy have some kind of radar on me?" _She looked at his tag and grew shocked by the number 16 displayed on it. "How did you get here so early and we were both in the same city."

"I took a different route," he stated in a matter of fact tone.

"I see," she stated. She felt uncomfortable around the man and now that she vaguely knew how he got here so fast, she wanted to cut this conversation as short as possible now. For some reason, she knew it would prove ineffective because he'd keep scoping her out. However, since had taken the exam so many times, his knowledge could increase her chances, even if only slight, if she knew something about the other examinees. "Um Tonpa-san, are there any people here that's taken it a lot like you?"

The man surveyed the room once over for security, but like earlier, he had not seen any of the more notable applicants. "They don't seem to be around yet, but if you ask again once more people arrive, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Thank you," she responded with a smile. She gave him a short wave and began to walk around a little bit. So far, all the other applicants were male, meaning she was the only female among the group so far, yet again. That was to be expected since those among her gender did not have the right mentality for a hunter or simply had other goals on their mind. Of course, if they did attempt, they probably would not make it very far into it.

She released a tired sigh from her lips and went to stand against the wall. She removed her bag, putting it next to her feet, but the staff remained in her hand. Slowly, she slid her body downwards until her butt touched the floor with her knees only a few inches away from her chest. She placed her arms over them, allowing them to dangle, while holding the staff firmly in the palms of her hands. She stayed in her spot, analyzing the competition as they stood off to themselves, refusing to talk to each other.

'_I really don't get why they seem so tense,'_ she pondered to herself. _'I know there are ones like Tonpa that makes it hard to trust anything he says. I guess I'll find out my answer eventually.'_

Her concern over the situation remained planted in her mind. However, she needed a little rest in order to function properly. It was not an easy task to run on fumes nor was it healthy, so she needed a little something to rejuvenate her. She closed her eyes, while her mind continued to ponder the scenario at hand before drifting off to another short slumber.

The elevator door opened several more times, each revealing a different person, the fourth revealing the most peculiar of them. It was a male standing at least 6'1 with red hair that was styled back. His eyes were an amber color, only a shade lighter than the Yorknew citizen, but unlike her, they were mysterious, never revealing a true intent. His cheeks each had a different design on them: the right, a maroon star and on the left, a spring green tear job. He wore a light blue, short sleeved shirt, a pink cuff on each sleeve, which stopped above his stomach, and a pair of matching blue pants with jester type blue shoes. On the front and back of his shirt were the card suits, club and spade on the front while heart and diamond on the back. Underneath his light blue shirt was another darker blue shirt with a pink cuff around his neck and in his abdominal area. As for accessories, he had matching pink wrist bands, one on each wrist. In short, the unique individual had the appearance of a jester and magician combined.

He stepped out the elevator, mentally assessing the competitors who wished to gain the coveted title, _'One point, two points, and seven points. It appears there isn't anyone worthy of becoming a strong opponent.'_

He casually walked up, catching the sight of the green headed individual and watched as he came towards him. Yet again, he handed forward a tag, "Hello. Please take this number."

Silently, the man took the small metallic object, placing it on the left side of his chest: it read 44. The green man shuddered to himself as he relayed his final message before leaving, sensing the evil emitting from the red haired male and quickly went back to awaiting more examinees. He knew his type and only hoped those who ran across him had sense enough to remain as far away from him as humanly possible, but with the nature of the exam or the total aspect, there would be more similar if not worse than him.

The eccentrically dressed man continued to survey the applicants, disappointed by the turn out so far. Most of them were not even worth of being here in the first place. He smirked to himself as he licked his lips. He would handle some of them accordingly. He turned his attention to the left wall where the young maiden sat, nodding as she napped peacefully, but seemed to still have a good grip on her weapon. He smiled devilishly as he made a flick of his wrist, a card magically appearing out of thing air in the slots of his fingers. Slowly, he made his way over to the woman and squatted down to her eye level with her oblivious of his presence. '_Let the fun begin.' _He placed his card against her neck and awaited the reaction.

In her near dreamlike state, Shira could feel a sharp pain lightly pressing against her neck. She stirred slightly before she fluttered her eyes open, only to find another pair of amber eyes staring pack at her. Her body grew visibly tense and opened her mouth to scream, but the pain grew harder.

The mysterious individual sustained his devious grin, amused by her state of panic, "Make one sound, one movement and I'll kill you~."

'_What's going on? Who is this guy?' _she thought frightened by the situation.

Fear overcame her as she suppressed the urge to scream and trembled in her spot, tightening the grip on her staff. The only thing she could do was glance down to his hand, seeing the oddly sharp object in his hand, back to his face, taking note of the smile on his lips before staring back into his mysterious amber orbs.

"Those eyes~," he stated, savoring in the fear etched into them. A light blush made itself known across his cheeks, "That look in your eyes is so delectable~."

Shira did not know whether to remain terrified or simply freaked out by his statement. She desperately tried to swallow a lump that formed in her chest, but it would not go down. "_This guy is insane.'_

"I could kill you now if I wanted to," he stated, applying more force to his deadly card. A trickle of blood rolled from her neck, but she did not make a peep. Shira remained deathly silent, observing the man's movements. His eyes gleamed at the sight as he slowly gazed down at the red liquid before looking back her fearful eyes. "But be glad that I won't. You really should not let your guard down. It makes you vulnerable and easy target."

Shira opened her mouth to speak, but no words were formed. The young maiden was too overwhelmed by her fear of the man and his leaking bloodlust to manage a single comprehensible statement at the moment. Her mind was racing and all she wanted now was to get out this situation alive. Even with the blinding fact that her staff was right there in her hands, she knew one wrong move would lead her even closer to death's door. Besides, she had a feeling it would not faze him in the tiniest fashion, so what was the point. However, at the same time, she felt sort of a thrill run through her body. It was like she wanted more of this feeling of uncertainty about whether she'd be able to live or die. That was quite odd, was it not?

He maintained his smile at her trembling state, but what he really admired were her eyes. This woman in front of him was one of the very few people he met so far that had those similar to his color. Not only that, there was a strong determination behind them. "_This one could prove to be a strong one if given time to develop. Then again, she seems to be a smart one…Decisions, decisions~.'_

Time had ultimately stood still for Shira. She berated herself for falling to her body's desire to sleep so in order to function properly. While she was indeed scared to death by the man, she just had to know, "W-Who are y-you?"

The man's smile remained as he gradually moved his head in closer to the side of hers, his lips stopping only an inch away from her ear. Another chill ran down Shira's spine when he opened his mouth to talk, "Hisoka."

It was barely above a whisper, but she heard the name loud and clear. She carefully watch as he removed the card and began to move away from her, but he kept his eyes locked into hers, which now had a dark shadow cast over them. "Hisoka…"

"That's right," he stated in a sing-song voice. "And it would be rude if you didn't tell me yours~."

"Shira…Ayumu," she responded in a near trance like state.

"What a lovely name Shira-chan~," he stated in the same tone of voice.

Shira could not tell if he was flirting with her or simply paying around. It was extremely hard to decipher by his demeanor; it could mean anyone really. Everything about him was shrouded in mystery but it was all dangerous.

"I look forward to seeing more of you Shira-chan," he stated, an edge of evil behind it. "I know you will become a _fine _hunter." He gave another wave of his hand, causing a different card to appear in place of the other and reached it forward. Shira hesitantly took the card seconds before he proceeded to walk away with his usual smile.

She panted to herself as he walked out of her view and flipped the card over to see what it was, only to find it was the queen of diamonds. She stared at it for a few moments before exhaling a full breath of air she had no idea she was holding. _'I thought I was going to die for a minute there, but it really was my own fault in the first place. It's like he said, I myself an easy target. I can see why everyone is on guard around here; you can get killed in the waiting process. I wonder where Tonpa is. Maybe he knows a little bit about him because he's far from any rookie. It's like he's a licensed killer.'_

She stood to her feet, securing the card in her shorts pocket and observed her surroundings. During her unwanted encounter with the magician, the tunnel had filled out a quite a bit. She had to find him now before it was too late. Luckily, she did not have to search far as she spotted him on the opposite side of the room, staring directly at her. She walked over to his spot just as he jumped off the lowest pipe attached to the wall of the tunnel. As she got closer, she could see the bullets of sweating rolling down the sides of his face.

"I take it you saw what just happened," she said coming to a halt in front of him.

"It was…hard to ignore," he replied honestly. "You're lucky to be alive. I'm not surprised that psychopath is back again."

'_Just like I thought,' _she mused to herself. The dark shadow was every present as she gaze at the man, intensifying the demand for the answers she wanted. "Tell me everything you know about Hisoka. I know he's not any first time examinee."

Tonpa nearly shuddered at the woman's dangerous gaze and chuckled uncomfortably. While it was his sole purpose to crush the rookies like her, he could not just ignore a topic that involved the sociopathic man. "You're right, he's not. That was Number 44, Hisoka the magician. He was a shoe in to pass the exam until he nearly killed an examiner he didn't like."

"I don't get how someone like him is permitted to return," Shira commented. What was the point of letting a murderer to take the exam in the first place?

"The examiners change every year," he continued to explain. "They can pass whoever they desire if they should wish it."

"That's troublesome," she commented, shuddering as she thought about the encounter again.

"However, it's best you stay away from him," the short man finished.

Shira smiled weakly in response, "Thank you, I will definitely do my best to do that."

Tonpa again displayed his friendly and innocent farce as he returned the smile, "If there's anything else you need to know just ask." When she turned her back to walk away again, the scowl returned to his lips. _'That girl is using me for her own benefit, but we'll see just how far she makes it. I have plenty of opportunities left. No doubt, she's trying to be an information hunter because she takes in everything I've told her so far that doesn't sabotage her chances.' _

He directed his beady eyes to the door, catching a glimpse of a white haired little boy with a skateboard in his arms coming off the elevator. He grinned deviously as he prepared to strike his next prey.

Unknown to the two, the mysterious Hisoka had his eyes locked onto the Yorknew citizen. He stood silently in his own corner, watching her every single move. No one bothered him because they were all too terrified of his abilities and hated him, to even think about approaching the deadly magician. He was not eager to associate himself with the likes of them either. He preferred to stay in solitude, only to acquaintance himself with those who he deemed worthy of his presence or just useful to his individual goals. In the end, if that particular person would die by his hands.

There was something about Shira that intrigued him. As he observed her during their short encounter, he could see something there besides the determination for achieving her goal; something bigger and greater as hiding in her, waiting to be set free. He wanted to find what it was and he would get exactly that. He licked his lips again, growing excited at the possible abilities or hidden secrets behind her frail appearance. _'Shira, I will find out one way or another. You're an un-ripened fruit waiting to grow.'_

Shira found herself back at the wall and looked up at the piping, _'Tonpa had the right idea. At least maybe if I get up there, I won't be bothered as much. Also I can stay away from Hisoka.'_

The amber orbed woman shivered yet again as she felt a chill crawl up her spine. She reluctantly shifted her gaze to see the creepy magician staring right at her, _'What did I do to catch his attention? This is not how I wanted to start my exam. Why is it always me?'_

"Is something wrong Shira-chan?" questioned the magician's smooth voice from behind.

Shira found herself stiffened at the sound of his voice and turned around to meet his amber gaze yet again. She froze on the spot, mentally cursing the gods for their cruel tricks on her. "W-What do you w-want with me? What did I do to y-you?"

"There's no need to be so scared Shira-chan~," he stated in a matter of fact voice. "I'm merely here to offer you a gift."

"I don't think I like the sound of that," she deadpanned, stepping away from the magician, only to be stopped in her tracks from behind. She whipped around to see the magician standing right there with his left hand on his hip and the other behind his back, causing a horrified look to appear in her eyes. "But you were…"

"It's magic, Shira-chan~," he stated, understanding her exact feelings. He removed his hand from behind his back with a walkie-talkie in it and gave it to her. "You will need this for now."

"What are you talking about?" Shira questioned in shock. She growled in frustration, unable to comprehend his unusual motives, "Why would…I even want to associate with someone like you? I haven't forgotten about what you tried to do to me only a little while ago."

Hisoka chuckled amusedly at the woman's distrust towards him. Honestly, he could not blame her. Trusting him would be a grave mistake, "That was to teach you a lesson. I know you will need the help."

Shira gazed at the man distrustfully and then to the device in her head, deciding on her choice. '_Why would I want his help? He's obviously a skilled murderer that can kill me at any point in time. Then again, why would he even want to help someone like me in the first place? This doesn't make any sense. On the other hand, I'm just an ordinary person. Even though he's just one of the scarier examples, it just goes to show how outclassed I truly am around here. I won't make it far. I probably won't even get passed maybe the second part if I don't have some type of help. What was I thinking? Well, I obviously wasn't but maybe I should just take it. Who knows what's going to come from this.'_

Hisoka smirked confidently, knowing he had reeled her in. He knew from the beginning that she was going to accept his help; albeit reluctantly. She was scared because she was nothing but an average person; an easy target for those with more experience in their area of talent. "What do you say, Shira-chan?"

"I will accept your offer Hisoka," she responded, holding the device firmly in her hand.

"Wise choice Shira," he said with his usual devious smile. "Keep your ears open; I will be contacting you very soon."

"Alright, I'll make sure to listen out," Shira replied, hooking the device onto her shorts. That was the second item she received from the red haired man and hopefully it was the last for now. Unlike Tonpa, there did not seem to be any deceit in his actions, but he could possibly have it well hidden. "When will that be though?"

"Just wait and see," Hisoka answered as he walked away.

She sighed to herself as he disappeared into the crowd again, possibly to strike up trouble for those around him. She was at least glad that he left her alone for now because her nerves were on edge around him, especially since he re-approached her after his initial scare to her heart. '_The fact that he's so mysterious makes him all the more frightening. He's not giving me completely straight answers, but I guess that's just the type of person he is. I still don't understand why I caught his attention. It's giving me a headache trying to decipher his motives, but what can I do now? I already accepted his help, so I guess I have to go through with it…at least for now."_

* * *

**A/n: And that brings an end to this installment to Journey. I hoped you enjoyed the interaction between Shira and Tonpa then her and Hisoka. I'm doing my best to try and portray them correctly. Hisoka is a bit hard for me considering his nature. It really is hard trying to find out what he really means at some points, but that is the fun thing about that guy. Anyway, please make sure you leave a review. They give me more motivation to keep going, but I enjoy writing the story enough as it is. I just like to know if you guys are there sometimes. Anyway, that's all I have to say for now.**

**Until Next Time!**

**Mystic Milli**


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